Navigating international shipping and customs can be one of the most stressful parts of overseas manufacturing. At Five Oceans, we completely remove this friction.
We offer flexible shipping options tailored to your order size and timeline. For sample orders, we utilize fast International Express. For bulk production, we highly recommend our DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) service, ensuring a completely hassle-free, door-to-door delivery.
Here is a detailed breakdown of how we get your custom apparel from our factory floor to your warehouse:
1. Sample Deliveries: International Express
When developing your prototypes, speed is everything. We ship all Fit Samples and Pre-Production Samples (PPS) via premium international couriers (such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS).
- Transit Time: Typically 3 to 7 business days globally.
- Tracking: Fully trackable door-to-door so you know exactly when your samples will arrive for review.
2. Bulk Orders: The DDP Advantage (Door-to-Door)
For mass production, we strongly recommend the DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) Incoterm to our clients.
Under DDP terms, Five Oceans handles everything. We manage the export process from China, the international freight, the import customs clearance in your country, and the payment of all import duties and taxes. You simply receive the goods at your specified address without any hidden fees or paperwork headaches.
Depending on your budget and product launch timeline, we offer two DDP routing options:
- DDP Air Freight (空派): The fastest bulk option. Your garments are flown to your country and then handed off to a local courier (like UPS or DPD) for final delivery.
- Best for: Urgent product launches or restocking high-demand technical outerwear.
- Transit Time: Usually 8 to 15 days.
- DDP Sea Freight (海派): The most cost-effective method for high-volume orders. Your goods travel by ocean freight to your domestic port, clear customs, and are then trucked to your warehouse.
- Best for: Planned seasonal collections, heavy items (like winter down jackets), and maximizing your profit margins.
- Transit Time: Usually 25-40 days, depending on the destination port.
3. Do you support other Incoterms?
Yes. While DDP is the most popular choice for emerging and mid-sized brands, we also support traditional Incoterms for large-scale brands that have their own established freight forwarders:
- FOB (Free On Board): We deliver the goods to a major local port (e.g., Shenzhen or Guangzhou) and handle export clearance. Your forwarder takes over from there.
- EXW (Ex Works): Your forwarder picks up the packaged bulk order directly from our Zhongshan facility.
Quick Shipping Comparison Guide
| Shipping Method | Best Used For | Handles Customs & Duties? | Estimated Transit Time |
| Intl. Express | Samples & Prototypes | Varies (Usually billed to receiver) | 3 – 7 Days |
| DDP Air Freight | Urgent Bulk Orders | Yes (Five Oceans handles all) | 8 – 15 Days |
| DDP Sea Freight | Standard Bulk / High Volume | Yes (Five Oceans handles all) | 25 – 40 Days |
| FOB / EXW | Brands with own forwarders | No (Client handles import) | Dependent on Client |
No Hidden Costs, Just Clear Timelines
When you request a manufacturing quote from Five Oceans, you can ask for a “Landed Cost” (the total cost of the garment including DDP shipping). This transparency allows you to calculate your retail markup accurately before production even begins.
